"Torpedo-Gorky" has left the VHL.

      The hockey club "Torpedo-Gorky" has officially been excluded from the list of participants in the All-Russian Hockey League. The current holder of the Russian Champion Cup will not participate in the 2026/2027 season. The VHL board has approved the list of clubs that will compete in the Russian championship. The updated list of participants does not include "Torpedo-Gorky." The league's newcomer will be HC "Kaluga."

      Recall that the issue of closing the farm club was discussed a year ago. At that time, no decision was made, as "Torpedo-Gorky" showed high results and won the Russian Champion Cup. However, this season, the Nizhny Novgorod team struggled to reach the playoffs and finished their fight in the first round, losing to "Magnitka" in a series with a score of 0:4.

      The general director of "Torpedo," Evgeny Zabuga, previously explained that the expenses for maintaining an independent farm club have doubled. Additional difficulties are related to changes in regulations. Previously, KHL clubs could use up to 40 players on two-way contracts through the farm team, but now the limit has been reduced to 10. According to Zabuga, with such restrictions, the question of the feasibility of serious investments arises.

      The players in the system, who make up the club's reserve, will continue to play for the Penza "Diesel," with which the Nizhny Novgorod club will cooperate. A year earlier, due to low popularity, the women's hockey team was also closed. The NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.